Between War and the State: Civil Society in South Vietnam, 1954-1975

Between War and the State examines voluntary activities in South Vietnam from 1954 to 1975, challenging stereotypes of a place without society or agency. It highlights how an active civil society survived despite difficulties imposed by the war, government restrictions, economic hardship, and external political forces. Civil society participants leveraged their social connections, made alliances, appealed to the domestic and international public, and used street protests to voice their concerns, secure their interests, and carry out their activities.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 15 July 2023
Publisher: Cornell University Press

Between War and the State, by Van Nguyen-Marshall, delves into a diverse range of voluntary initiatives, encompassing mutual-help, professional, charitable, community development, student, women's, and rights organizations, that were active in South Vietnam from 1954 to 1975. By centering attention on the public experiences of the South Vietnamese people, this book challenges the prevailing notion that South Vietnam was devoid of society or agency. The robust associational life showcased in Between War and the State underscores the resilience of civil society in the face of numerous challenges, including the war, government restrictions, economic hardships, and external political forces. These competing political actors, including the United States, Western aid agencies, and Vietnamese communist agents, created a highly competitive environment where the South Vietnamese state did not possess a monopoly on persuasive or coercive power. To maintain its influence, the state occasionally needed to accommodate groups and limit its use of violence. Civil society participants in South Vietnam harnessed their social networks, forged alliances, appealed to both the domestic and international public, and utilized street protests as means to express their concerns, safeguard their interests, and carry out their activities.

Weight: 376g
Dimension: 151 x 230 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501770586